And it came to pass at that time that
Judas went down from his brethren, and
came as far as to a certain man of Odollam,
whose name was Iras.

And Judas saw there
the daughter of a Chananitish man, whose
name was Sava; and he took her, and went
in to her.

And she conceived and bore a
son, and called his name, Er.

And she conceived and bore a
son again; and called his
name, Aunan.

And she again bore a son;
and called his name, Selom: and she was in
Chasbi when she bore them.

And Judas
took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name
was Thamar.

And Er, the first-born of
Judas, was wicked before the Lord; and God
killed him.

And Judas said to Aunan, Go
in to thy brother's wife, and marry her as
her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy
brother.

And Aunan, knowing that the
seed should not be his -- it came to pass
when he went in to his brother's wife, that
he spilled it upon the ground, so that he
should not give seed to his brother's wife.

And his doing this appeared evil before
God; and he slew him also.

And Judas said to Thamar, his daughter-in-law,
Sit thou a widow in the house of
thy father-in-law, until Selom my son be
grown; for he said, lest he also die as his
brethren; and Thamar departed, and sat in
the house of her father.

And the days
were fulfilled, and Sava the wife of Judas
died; and Judas, being comforted, went to
them that sheared his sheep, himself and
Iras his Shepherd the Odollamite, to
Thamna.

And it was told Thamar his
daughter-in-law, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law
goeth up to Thamna, to shear his
sheep.

And having taken off the garments
of her widowhood from her, she put on a
veil, and ornamented her face, and sat by
the gates of Aenan, which is in the way to
Thamna, for she saw that Selom was grown;
but he gave her not to him for a wife.

And when Judas saw her, he thought her to
be a harlot; for she covered her face, and he
knew her not.

And he went out of his
way to her, and said to her, Let me come in
to thee; for he knew not that she was his
daughter-in-law; and she said, What wilt
thou give me if thou shouldest come in to
me?

And he said, I will send thee a kid
of the goats from my flock; and she said,
Well, if thou wilt give me an earnest, until
thou send it.

And he said, What is the
earnest that I shall give thee? and she said,
Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and the staff
in thy hand; and he gave them to her, and
went in to her, and she conceived by him.

And she arose and departed, and took her
veil from off her, and put on the garments
of her widowhood.

And Judas sent the
kid of the goats by the hand of his shepherd
the Odollamite, to receive the pledge from
the woman; and he found her not.

And
he asked the men of the place, Where is the
harlot who was in Aenan by the way-side?
and they said, There was no harlot here.

And he returned to Judas, and said, I
have not found her; and the men of the
place say, There is no harlot here.

And
Judas said, Let her have them, but let us
not be ridiculed; I sent this kid, but thou
hast not found her.

And it came to pass
after three months, that it was told Judas,
saying, Thamar thy daughter-in-law has
grievously played the harlot, and behold she
is with child by whoredom; and Judas said,
Bring her out, and let her be burnt.

And
as they were bringing her, she sent to her
father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the
man whose these things are; and she said,
See whose is this ring and bracelet and
staff.

And Judas knew them, and said,
Thamar is cleared rather than I, forasmuch
as I gave her not to Selom my son: and he
knew her not again.

And it came to pass
when she was in labour, that she also had
twins in her womb.

And it came to pass
as she was bringing forth, one thrust forth
his hand, and the midwife having taken
hold of it, bound upon his hand a scarlet
thread, saying, This one shall come out first.

And when he drew back his hand, then
immediately came forth his brother; and
she said, Why has the barrier been cut
through because of thee? and she called his
name, Phares.

And after this came forth
his brother, on whose hand was the scarlet
thread; and she called his name, Zara.